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Google Inc. said Wednesday that it will sell its own tablet computer, the Nexus 7, based on its Android operating system.

Google is the latest challenger to Apple, maker of the popular iPad. The new tablet will also compete directly with Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire.

Here's a look at the key differences between the new device, the Kindle Fire, the iPad and other leading competitors. The Nexus 7 will be available next month and the Surface this fall. The others are already available.

Google Inc.'s Nexus 7

- Price: $199 for 8 gigabytes of storage, $249 for 16 GB.

- Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

- Screen resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels

- Weight: 0.75 pounds

- Cameras: Front-facing, 1.2 megapixel camera

- Battery life: 9.5 hours

- Operating system: Google's Android

Pros: Access to a variety of games, utilities and other software for Android devices, though not as extensive as apps available for iPad. More features than Kindle Fire at same price.

Cons: Integrates with Google Play store, which is still new and isn't as robust as Apple or Amazon's stores. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for cellular wireless broadband.

Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire:

- Price: $199 for 6 gigabytes of storage

- Screen size: 7 inches diagonally

- Screen resolution: 1024 by 600 pixels

- Weight: 0.9 pounds

- Cameras: none

- Battery life: 8 hours.

- Operating system: Modified version of Google's Android

Pros: Cheap and portable. Convenient access to Amazon store.

Cons: No-frills tablet lacks camera and microphone. Small selection of third-party applications available from Amazon. Data storage cannot be expanded with memory cards. No option for cellular wireless broadband.

Apple Inc.'s iPad:

- Price: Starts at $499 for 16 gigabytes of storage, goes up to $699 for 64 gigabytes, more for versions with cellular data access. (Apple still sells the older, iPad 2 for $399.)

- Screen size: 9.7 inches diagonally

- Screen resolution: 2048 by 1536 pixels

- Weight: 1.44 pounds

- Cameras: 5-megapixel camera on back and a low-resolution camera on front, for videoconferencing

Pros: Lighter, thinner and cheaper than iPad. Longer, narrower screen better suited to movies. Also with 7-inch screen for $250. Storage is expandable with microSD memory cards. Can act as a universal remote control for an entertainment center.

Cons: Selection of third-party applications not as good as iPad's, but wider than Kindle's. Screen resolution lower than iPad's. No option yet for wireless broadband, but likely to come.